Marked
by OnePieceDoesExist
Summary: "We're here, Mugiwara!" The Vice Admiral hissed. "We finally made it to Mariejois! You'll work till the day you die!" Luffy kicked the man straight in the jaw and he was sent flying into the freshly patched up wall. He had, once again, stuck his face against the bars. "You're an idiot." Luffy replied, picking his nose. Post-Timeskip! Luffy's been abducted by Celestial Dragons!
1. Chapter 1 - Heading to Mariejois

Luffy slowly opened his eyes, his vision blurry. He recognized the swaying of a ship, though it was different; like he was flying, and muffled voices giving out orders. His vision clearing, he sat up. Looking around he saw a solid steel flooring, ceiling, and walls. On one wall was bars that seemed to be the entrance to a cell.

'I wonder what sucker got himself stuck in a cell, shishishishi!' Luffy thought. Soon after luffy noticed the sea stone shackles on his wrists and ankles. Confusion turned to shock as he finally realized. "I WAS CAPTURED!" Luffy tried to run around but as soon as he stood up and took a step forward he faceplanted, already exhausted. "Damn it, the floor must be made of sea stone..." He paused his thoughts and yawed. 'Might as well sleep...'

Luffy didn't know how long he had been out of it but was awoken by loud voices that he could quite understand. "SANJI, FOOD!" He said sitting up, completely forgetting the predicament he had found himself in hours earlier. In front of his cell were two marine soldiers and a Vice-Admiral. "Auuugh!" Luffy said, pointing a finger. "You aren't Sanji! Who are you!"

"I don't think you should worry about who we are but rather the position you are in, Mugiwara Luffy..." The Vice said, smirking. "Right now your on your way to Mariejois." The man paused, his smirk growing wider as luffys face paled then twisted in anger.

"I'm guessing you know what that means, right Mugiwara?" He got his face right in front of luffy, who was now at the front of the cell glaring daggers at the Vice. "Your being sold, as a slave—"

"NO!" Luffy yelled at him. "IM A PIRATE! PIRATES ARE FREE! I WON'T TAKE ORDERS FROM SOME NOBLE BASTARD!" Luffy had clenched his hands around the bars so hard they were ghostly white. He reached through the bars and grabbed the man that had, cockily, went too close to Luffy. Luffy then head-butted him so hard that he flew back to the other end of the thing hallway, smashing the wooden walls on the other side.

The mans subordinates hurried over to help him but he shook them off. "You've done it now, you bastard!" He had his hand over his bleeding head. "Someone get a sea stone collar on him! Sedate him if you have too!" Luffy glared at the man and when they tried to sedate him he simply broke the syringe.

/~~The next day~~\

"Ok, Mugiwara." The vice said, his eyes glinting as he entered. His head was bandaged from their previous encounter. "We've arrived at Mariejois! Welcome to your new life! There will be no freedom here, Mugiwara, you'll work till the day you die..." He whispered the last sentence, hissing the world at him, trying to break his spirit. What he got in return was a kick to his face as, yet again, he had pushed his face to close to the bars and luffy had no trouble kicking him, despite the shackles.

"Your an idiot." Luffy stated whilst picking his nose. The marines that were standing with the vice were confused and sweat-dropped as only yesterday he had been furious. Now he was acting totally uninterested in it, though that may have just been his being too tired to yell as they had managed to put a seastone bomb-collar on his neck in the night.

"I'm the man who'll become the pirate King." He stated. "I won't die here!" A grin was placed on his face with those last words. He titled his hat so it was shadowing his face, leaving that famous 'D' grin that everyone in the world had become acquainted to at Rogers execution. It freaked the soldiers out, to say the least.

The Vice got up again, thoroughly pissed. "Mugiwara your going to follow me into Mariejois without any resistance!" Luffy just raised an eyebrow, which was hidden under his hat, and grinned wider. He was going to have fun.

"Fine." Luffy said, making his face impassive. He stood up and walked towards the front of the cell. The guards were baffled by his sudden change of mind. Still unsure they attached chains on either side of his cuffs and began leading him out of the ship.

As soon as he reached outside he was blinded by the bright sunlight that reflected off the gleaming castle-like city. After regaining sight luffy looked around him. He was at a small port, though there was no water. He was outside the city, it's walls towering in front of him. Small ships, which he had seen nobles riding in before, were docked along the painted strip of the red line.

The entire cut in front of seemed to be made of metal and gold. Other than the two marines that were holding his chains there were two stationed right in front of the ship, ten going down the dock, and about thirty at the end, waiting for him.

They made it down the dock and Luffy was surrounded by the forty men. He released a burst of Conquerors Haki, causing all but five soldiers and the Vice to collapse immediatly. He then pulled the two men holding his chains towards him, stepping backwards so they slammed into each others face. 'Three more' he thought. He ran towards another soldier who was still dazed. And kicked him in the side of the head.

Another, who had recovered, ran up to his back and thrust his sword forwards. Luffy sidestepped and the man tumbled forward. He used this chance to lock his hands together and ram them into the mans back, causing him to fall to the ground. Two soldiers that had recovered held guns at him and fired. In his weakened state luffy was having trouble dodging the bullets. When they stopped to reload him charged forward and head-butted one while kicking the other in the chin.

Luffy was panting heavily now, the seastone taking its affect on him. He was sweating profusely and his straw hat was hanging on his neck. There was only one man left now, the Vice-Admiral. By now he had regained his composure and was charging at him and swinging his sword.

They danced around the battlefield. Luffy dodging his attacks and the man quickly attacking again. Luffy had many cuts now and he was slowing down. His breath was getting ragged and his dodges narrower and narrower. 'I can't go on for much longer. Damn these shackles!'

It was a surprise that luffy could dodge so easily taking in the facts that his feet and hands were shackled and he was dragging chains from his hands. Luffy dodged by rolling to the side as the vice's sword struck straight into the ground. Luffy decided to use these chains for something. The next time the man swung for luffys head he used the chains to block the swing. Pushing the mans sword upwards, he made a handstand and kicked the man in the gut, hard.

The Vice spit up blood as he was sent flying. He had one last thought before passing out. 'How strong is this man?! No, no, he's no man, he's a wild animal!'

Luffy stood there a split second longer before falling on both knees. His breathing was haggard and his clothes soaked in sweat. His vision was become blurry and dark. He shook his head and attempted to stand up again. 'I have to go to my Nakama!' A figure approached him.

"Oooohh?" A strange, yet familiar voice cooed. "I heard that a strong pirate was being shipped here for the Celestial Dragons but I didn't think it would be you, Mugiwara Luffy." The voice belonged to a tall man with broad shoulders. He wore a bright yellow suit and a admiral cape on his back.

"Kizaru..." Luffy said, facing the man. He was barely staying awake. His limbs felt like lead and his mind was about to give out. He knew he couldn't take on the admiral in this condition. 'I have to get to my Nakama!' He thought this over and over again, wishing his body would heed his commands and move. He tried to escape only to fall to the ground, unmoving. 'My Nakama...' Darkness entrapped him and he drifted off.

* * *

><p>Hi Dumplings! How do you like the first chapter?! Kizaru showed up! Dont forget to leave a review!<p>

See ya Dumplings,

OnePieceDoesExist


	2. Chapter 2 - Marked

Im back with the second chapter! Thank you for all your fabulous reviews! I hope you all enjoy the chapter!

IMPORTANT! This goes for all stories I'm currently doing. I'll, from now on, only be posting on the weekends and during the week when I feel like it! That's all! Also selfish advertising: Check out my other story, Finding a Phoenix!

Onto the chapter!

* * *

><p>Luffy opened his eyes to a dark room, aside from to pit of coals to his right. It was a small, rectangular shaped room. The walls were made out of some soft of stone, as were the roof and flooring. In the middle of the room was a long metal table. The ground and wall that luffy was against were damp and the stone was tinged green. Straight across was a metal door that led out into a thin hallway. To his right, past the fireplace was a den-den mushi of some sort sitting on a metal chair. There was a single light hung in the middle of the room. Luffy was still in seastone cuffs along his arms and legs though there was now a huge, uncomfortable collar around his neck.<p>

Luffy was dressed in only shorts and his shoes, shirt, and hat were nowhere to be seen.

The door opened and in came three large men followed by a government official and a soldier. The soldier went and tended to the den-den mushi while the official was talking quietly to the bulks. "Now hurry up and get him on the table already!" The official said. He had short, curly, grey-brown hair that reminded luffy of a deflated afro. He was tall and skinny and held a sword at his hip. He had a silver suit on and his cape had the words Vice-Admiral on them.

"Right away, Vice-admiral Makechi!" Said one of the burly men. Two of said men walked towards luffy, who was now fully awake.

He glared at them. "Where am I?!" he asked recieving punch to the jaw in response. The two men picked him up roughly by the shoulders and lay him, facedown, on the metal table. His arms and legs were chained to the table as the two burly men left the room.

The den-den mushi was turned on and the marine started talking about 'justice' and 'pirate scum' and 'setting an example' but luffy wasn't paying attention. His eyes were focused on the hot iron rod that was cooking in the coals. The last burly man who had not left the room took it out as soon as the vice had stopped talking. It was a branding tool.

"No!" Luffy said, thrashing around in his shackles, threatening to topple the table. "I won't become some stupid slave for those bastards! I'm a pirate! Pirates are free!" The man held the branding tool up and pushed his hand on luffys back to stop his thrashing. "I have to go to my Nakama! Their waiting for me!" His voice cracked slightly. The man ignored Luffy and pushed the brander into his back.

Luffy refused to scream. He bit down on his lower lip so hard it bled. He was glaring at the vice-admiral who was smirking from besides the den-den mushi.

After what seed like forever the brander was removed. It was followed by a bucket of ice cold water being dumped on him. The man started talking again and after he was finished the den-den mushi was turned off and the two left, leaving luffy and the burly man alone.

He picked luffy up and walked him down a narrow corridor. He entered another room, this one lined with cells. He tossed luffy into one of the cells, whose back skid along the ground, causing his wound to open. Luffy fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

><p>When he woke he felt something cold and wet on his back. "I-it's ok!" A small voice squeaked. "It's for your... Burn..." He opened his eyes and in front of him was a doe eyed young girl of about the age of 10. She had bright blue eyes and long curly blonde hair. She wore a short white skirt and a loose white shirt with a little blue tie. "Slowly sit up and don't let your back touch anything."<p>

He did as she instructed him too, not that he had the strength to do much. "Wh-Who are you? Where am I?! What happened?!" Anxiety creeping into his hoarse voice.

She turned towards him and smiled. "I'm Alla! Your in one of the celestial dragon's homes... And you were..." She lost her smile and looked away. The memories from what had previously happened came back to him and Luffy went to one of the mirrors in the room, looking at his back.

There was what looked like a circle with triangles above it. The burn was bright red from agitation and it was coated with a gooey clear substance. He scratched at it, ignoring the pain that shot through his back, attempting to rid himself of the horrible mark. "Stop it!" He felt the girl, Alla, desperately pulling at his arm, but ignored her. "Don't hurt yourself any more!"

He pushed her backward and she fell onto the floor. Alla looked at the pirate in front of her and tears started to fill her eyes. She looked around the room and found something that could be used as a club. She quickly ran over and banged the object against the pirates head and watched him slump to the side.

Dropping the object she rolled him onto his stomach and began to bandage his back. "Idiot..." She said as tears started to fill her eyes again. She'd seen to many do the same as him. Some committed suicide or go on a suicidal rampage, hurting their masters and other slaves until their collars went off. She couldn't take it anymore, no matter how many times she got in trouble for it.

She just finished bandaging his back when she heard a knock on the bedroom door. The little girl walked up to it and pulled the door open. She was pushed aside as guards came into the room. A celestial dragon came in right after. He had grey hair and was starting to bald. He was short, fat, and was wearing what looked like a spaceman suit.

The celestial dragon looked down at her with a glare. She shrunk back and lowered her head to the floor. A sharp kick hit her right side and she was flung into the wall. She heard the dragon mutter something along the lines of 'get out of my way, filth' before he started yelling at the guards to hurry and move Mugiwara.

Alla's eyes shot open and she ran over to the guards. "Stop! He shouldn't be moved!" She screamed, "His back is in horrible condition!"

"Pesky brat!" One of the guards said, grabbing her head and shoving her back. She got up again and pulled on his pant leg. "Ugg!" He spat, trying to shake her off. "Lord Usmael, what should I do?!"

The Celestial Dragon was annoyed with her antics. 'How dare this traitor act like this?!' He thought. "Send her back to the Pit!" He growled through clenched teeth.

Alla looked at him with fearful eyes. "No..." She backed away from the guard, who was now carrying Luffy away, her body freezing in terror. "No! I don't like that place! It hurts all over!" Another guard came over and grabbed her around the waist. She but down hard on his arm and started to run out of the room. A guard blocked her way and grabbed her by both arms. "No! I don't wanna! It hurts! It hurts!"

"If you didn't want to go down there then you should have been a good girl and done what I told you to!" Usmael spat back. He glanced over at the unconscious pirate. "Take Mugiwara there while you're at it, we wouldn't want him to be too energetic..."

The guards nodded and took the two to the Pit.

* * *

><p>I know the second half of this chapter, at least to write it, was boring. I promise the next chapters will be more fulfilling... If that's the word. Well I hope you enjoyed!<p>

My school decided that its Water Main would burst today (school flooded?!) so I had no school(hooray!) and decided to get some chapters uploaded. (But mostly sit around watching anime)

Don't forget to leave a review, they make me happy!

See ya later Dumplings,

OnePieceDoesExist


	3. Chptr 3 The Missing Captain and the Pit

Hi guys I'm back! Ugg I've been so sick all Christmas break (Merry Christmas to you all!) so I've just not been having a good time. Well anyway I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

Reply to my wonderful guest reviewer: This chapter shall explain half of you question and the rest shall remain a secret!

-(-)-(-)-

Luffy opened his eyes to find himself in a dark, cold, unfamiliar room for what seemed like the hundredth time in two days, although he didn't know how long he had been unconscious. He was leaning against a wall with his arms at his sides and his legs stretched all the way out.

He suddenly felt the presence of jutting pain on every part of his body that touched the room. He jumped up and, surprised by the stiffness in his muscles, tripped forward and face-planted onto the spike-filled floor.

"OWWW!" He cried out, pulling his face up and cupping his hands over his bleeding face. He felt the sharp spikes poke his rear and jumped up, crying out as he danced on the spiked flooring.

He hopped sideways towards a wall and reached out a hand to stop himself, only to have it skewered through by another group of small spikes. "OWW! What the hell is this place?!" He nursed his hand, ignoring the wounds on his feet in order to prevent making more.

"It's the pit..." A voice replied. Luffy looked towards the blonde girl that stood in the corner of the room, or what he could make out of the simply lite area. "Its filled with thousands of 1/2 inch long spikes on the walls and flooring. The more you move the more it hurts..." She glanced at the ground, her eyes blank.

Luffy stared at her for a moment, his face placid. "Why are you down here?"

"Because I broke the rules, like you did..." She replied, crouching to huddle for warmth. The man stayed silent. "Can I ask you some questions, Monkey D. Luffy?"

Luffy nodded and focused his attention on her, not that there was much else to look at.

"First, what does 'D' mean, anyway?"

"I don't know..."

She chuckled. "Figures as much... Ok, question two, how did you get caught? Your suppose to be some big shot pirate, right? So how did you get captured by a lame vice-admiral that makes his niece do all his work for him?"

Luffy sat there for a while, his face wrought in deep confusion. "Hmm... That's a good question. I can't remember! But I know I felt weak all of a sudden and my vision went blurry..." He place his hand on his head, as if expecting to grab something, only to grip a few strands of hair.

"What do you mean you can't remember?!" Alla yelled, a shocked and accusing look on her face.

"I don't know. I just can't." He gripped the side of his head. "It's like there's something missing. I can't remember anything after..." He trailed off and his eyes grew distant.

"After...?" Alla coaxed, hating that far away look that she'd seen too many times before.

"MY NAKAMA!" Luffy suddenly shouted, snapping back into reality. "I have to go back to them as soon as possible!" He was about to stand up and go to run when the little girl held him in place.

"Idiot, do you not understand me when I say 'the more you move the more it hurts'?!"

-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-

One Week Earlier

Near an island in the New World

"WOOOOAAAAH!" Luffy exclaimed, peering out in the distance, his hand on his forehead shading his eyes as his hat was dangling from his neck. "NEW ISLAND! YAHOO!"

An orange-haired navigator sighed at the exclamation from her captain and walked towards a chair on deck. "Luffy!" She said, sitting down in the chair and tying her hair back. "Don't do anything stupid like ru-"

With that the rubber-headed captain bazooka'd towards the island, which was still the size of a golf ball, in the distance. "-Un off..." Nami groaned in defeat and continued with her tanning.

Zoro peaked out from the crows nest. "Oi, Luffy just flew to that island."

"Ignore that idiot!" Nami groaned.

The Straw Hats on deck shared a collective resigned sigh as Luffy disappeared into the distance.

-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-

Pretty Much the same Time But With Luffy

Luffy flew through the air and could see the rapidly approaching island. "OH~ That island looks suuuppppeeeerrr cooool!" Giant trees filled the forests and even larger mountains, coated with snow and one with the characteristics of a volcano, loomed behind them.

As he got closer he spotted a large city on the right of the island. It was located right on the coast and in seemingly desert-like terrain. "What's up with this island?!" His grin was growing larger by the second.

He couldn't help the fit of laughter that made its way to his mouth when he spotted the pterodactyls flying around the volcano top, the giant scorpions in the sand, the ice bears resting in the mountain's caves, the giant bugs in the forest, and the monsters in the shallow waters.

"AHH! I can't wait! This is gonna be so. Much! FUUUUU-" He slammed into one of the giant trees and fell to the ground, his hat continuing its path forwards with the wind.

Luffy sat up and rubbed his red face, which had met the rough tree bark, and glared up at the tree. "Stupid tree..." He muttered, pulling his hat onto his head.

Or at least attempting to. He quickly found out that his straw hat had decided to fly off by itself and he ran off into the forest yelling "HAAAAT! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

It would have been a rather easy journey to find the hat had the wildlife not decided that the only food on the entire island was wearing a red vest and blue shorts.

"Gomu Gomu no... Spear!" His kick was aimed at a large spider that decided that even though the previous eight giant deadly insects had failed to leave even a scratch on the mysterious food source, that it would be the one to finish him off.

The spider flew into a nearby tree and did not rise again. Luffy started up again, turning in the direction of the town. "Haaaaat! Where are you?!"

Luffy ran through the forest, defeating monsters that got in his path, eventually coming to a small cave. He looked inside the dark. "HAAAT?! ARE YOU DOWN THERE?!" He heard a voice from inside.

"Come," it whispered. "Come, I have found your precious hat." Luffy immediately ran down the pitch black path, smiling. The skinny passage expanded into a small pocket in the ground. There sat a robe-covered old man. Beside him sat a lantern producing blue flames. Sitting on top of a rock sat a straw hat.

"AH! HAAAT!" He chuckled before walking over to his hat and putting it on. "I finally found yo-" The supernova fell onto his back, fast asleep.

The old man stood up, un-casting his illusion, making the straw hat, blueness in the light, and the robe disappear.

"I was wondering how long it was going take the sleeping gas to take effect!" He grabbed his marine jacket, which read 'Vice-Admiral' on the back, from his left and stood up.

"Knahahaha! I can't believe it!" He laughed as he pulled out sea stone handcuffs. "When I came to this island I didn't expect to find Mugiwara Luffy - A 400 million, no 500 million after the Dressrosa accident, beri bounty - ready to fall into my hands!"

"You should be more alert when running theough the forest, you know." He cuffed the pirate and slung him over his shoulder. "Headquarters is gonna love this one! Kna~ha!"

One Week earlier

Back on the Straw Hats ship

"Ahh, we finally made it back to sweet land!" Nami exclaimed, stretching her arms above her head.

"If only we could find our rubber-headed idiot of a captain, then we'd be all good to go. At least we know what direction he went." Sanji commented, looking towards dense field of trees.

"That'll be a piece of cake!" Nami breathed in deeply then cuffed her hands around her mouth. "LUFFY! YOUR GOING TO MISS LUNCH IF YOU DON'T HURRY BACK!"

They waited. And waited. And waited. "Ok, now I'm worried, he never misses a meal..."

Usopp stepped forward. "Here let me try!" Mimicking Nami, he yelled. "LUFFY, HURRY UP OR YOU'RE GOING TO MISS THE UNVEILING OF FRANKY'S NEW INVENTION! IT EVEN HAS A BEAM!"

"WHAT?! REALLY USOPP?!" Chopper squeaked, jumping up and down with stars in his eyes.

"Here let me-" Zoro began, but Robin put an arm in front of him.

"No need. In the case that something has happened to our captain, I believe time is of the essence. CIEN FLUR!" Robin crossed her arms and closed her eyes, disembodied replicas of her arms, all armed with and eye in their palm, sprinkled themselves into the woods instantaneously after.

Her face scrunched up in concentration, then frustration. She un-summoned the arms and ran into the woods, offering no explanation. The others followed.

Once they reached a small opening, Robin stopped. "MILL FLUR!" Calling upon them once again, the limbs spread even further into the forest, peering into every nook and cranny. "He couldn't have gone too fa-" She froze, shock momentarily stuck on her face.

The arms disappeared, excluding a single line all pointing in one direction. "Did you find him?" Franky asked, worried.

Robin gulped. "No, not quite..." And she walked beside the trail of limbs, each limb disappearing as she passed it. Finally they reached a small creek.

Thick bushes surrounded the base of the other side. Robin walked over to the brush and reached her hand inside. What she pulled out was a Straw Hat.

Turning to the crew she murmured. "We may be in a worse situation than what we'd previously thought..."

Again, sorry for the not updating: Blame life.

Anyway I leave off on a suspenseful ending (even though we already know where Luffy is) that will "definitely make you want to keep reading" *wink wink*

Until next time, faithful dumplings,

OnePieceDoesExist


	4. Chapter 3 - Realization and Running

And we're back!... I have nothing to say so ill just get onto the chapter.

"Ahhhh!" Luffy shot up, despite the fact that the little girl was desperately trying to keep him in place. "I remember! Some weird guy in a cave with a blue lantern and my hat somehow knocked me out without moving!"

Alla sighed. "You finally remember? Well, whatever." She thought for a moment. "That man you described, it's just a hunch but I'm guessing that he was Vice Admiral Makechi."

"Huh? How do you know? Makechi who?"

"According to the rumors I've heard, Makechi is a vice-admiral who had this niece with incredible powers, probably a devil fruit, that would go and defeat pirates and bandits while he would take the credit."

"Though hes not much of a threat personally, Makechi himself is able to create illusions with his Illusion Illusion Fruit, so I guess the higher ups believed he'd done it. Also I think he may have just lured you into a trap with an illusion and used something along the lines of sleeping gas on you..."

"What?! That jerk!" Luffy crossed his arms and pouted. "Wait, why doesn't she just beat him up and take the credit for herself?"

For what seemed like the hundredth time, Alla sighed. "It would be like beating up your father."

"Oh... I understand, even though I've never met my dad... Except that one time when smokey was chasing me..." He trailed off, absorbed in his own thoughts, until...

"AH MY NAKAMA!" Luffy surged forwards only to fall flat on his face with the next step. "OOWWW!"

Alla sat there, observing this strange man. 'He's so stupid, and scrawny, and he can't be that tough if Makechi got him. Yet, even still... Even though he's branded...'

She watched him squirm about, changing from trying to get out, to floundering around in pain comically. 'He still hasn't relented...'

She didn't notice the tear that slid down her face until it fell onto her hand. 'What? I'm crying...' She smiled. 'Im an idiot...'

A light shined down from somewhere above them. Both hissed at the light. "Is that heaven?!" Luffy asked. "No! Go away, I can't leave yet! Not till I find my Nakama and become Pirate King!"

"Idiot, it's a light, their going to pull us out of here." She silenced him and got to her feet.

As the claw that would take them 'Out of the pan and into the fryer' descended, Alla quickly whispered, "If you don't want this to be more complicated than it needs to be, just pretend to blindly follow their tasks. That'll give you an easier chance of escape..."

Luffy nodded a thank you and mouthed, 'I got it!' Before being taken by the crane.

Next was Alla's turn. It picked her up gently by the back of her shirt and lifted her up nearly a mile high.

"NO! Get off of me dammit!" Alla blanched, she was dealing with a true, one-in-amillion kind of idiot. When he came in sight, she saw Luffy wrestling nearly fifteen guards while being subdued by the sea stone collar and cuffs along with all of his bleeding wounds.

"I said, GET OFF ME!" Everyone in the room seemed paralyzed, not moving a muscle. Then, one by one, the guards dropped to the ground, unconscious and foaming at the mouth.

Alla was dazed and fell onto her but, a splitting headache coming on. "What... Did you do?"

"Oh that?" He climbed from the pile of guards. "It was nothing! Anyway, nows our chance, lets go!"

"Don't give me that 'it was nothing' bullsh- crap!" She yelled. Luffy ignored her and scooped her up. "Ah! What are you doing?!"

"Escaping."

"You're a mad man! There are thousands of guards in this city, not to mention all the marines - even admirals! Also the walls around it are 1.24 miles high! And you have a SEASTONE BOMB-COLLAR on you! Not to mention your already injured! It's reckless!"

"Oh these?" Luffy asked looking at his blood crusted feet. "That's nothing!"

"Stop saying th-" He ran out of the building and they were both momentarily blinded by the light, Alla stopping mid-sentence to shield her eyes.

When vision returned, a seemingly beautiful empire stretched before them. Rows and rows of carefully crafted houses, everything seemingly made out of marble, dotted the landscape and the city seemed to shine. "This place is to bright, too clean, it reminds me of the Goa Kingdom..."

"Goa? Did you live there? Isn't that place supposed to be filled with noble clean freaks or something?" Alla asked, wriggling out of his arms.

"Naw, we lived near it, beyond the Grey Terminal. I didn't like that place cause it was filled with jerks and took Sabo away!" Luffy replied, scanning the city for some sort of exit. A shout from their right alerted them to the presence of swarming guards.

Thinking fast, Luffy grabbed Alla and played her like a hostage. "Alla!" A guard worriedly yelled, lowering his gun slightly.

Luffy took this chance to leap onto the nearby rooftop and run.

"Grey Terminal? Sabo?" Alla pressed, now situated on Luffy in a piggy back fashion.

"The grey terminal was where the nobles dumped all their trash, that's why the place was so clean, see?" He leaped onto another roof, aiming for the gate he saw earlier. "And Sabo's my Big Brother! Though neither of my brothers are related to me by blood." Luffy jumped into an alleyway between two buildings and continued running, scaring the townsfolk. "He used to be a noble in Goa, but he hated the way everyone treated him and how they treated others. So he lived with me 'n Ace."

Luffy turned right, only to be face with a group of armed marines and some soldiers talking. He skidded to a stop as they started shooting, dodging bullets and turning to run, though the assault quickly stopped when they realized they were dealing with a "hostage situation."

"A celestial Dragon shot his boat down when he was 10 years old and I thought he was dead for 10 more after that, but then I met him again in Dressrosa! Shishishi!" Luffy once again stopped, only this time it was because of a dead end.

He looked around and, with the group of enemies catching up, decided to climb the wall. He threw Alla up first then quickly leaped up before returning to finding that gate, which was nowhere in sight now, and escaping.

"Wait, your brother's a noble?!" Alla asked, shocked.

"He was."

"Didn't you care at all that he lived with the people that made others lives so hard?" She whispered, her voice starting to quiver and her body shake, desperately yearning to hear his answer, though she didn't know why.

"No. Sabo is Sabo and his family was their own. He couldn't control what they did, so he shouldn't be held responsible for their sins."

An indistinguishable emotion flooded though her and Alla felt herself relax."And what about your other brother, umm Ace, was it?"

Luffy didn't respond right away. For a few minutes he was silent as he ran, though his pace had started to slow down and she could hear that his breathing had thickened. 'The collar and wounds must be taking effect.' She thought.

He ducked into an alleyway and sat down to rest a moment. His eyes were distant, as though he wasn't sitting in front of her now, but somewhere else.

"He's not around anymore..." Luffy breathed out. "But Ace didn't care either, I mean his dad was the Pirate King..." He laughed humorlessly.

"Guess we were just a bunch of devils banding together, huh?" He said more to himself than anyone else.

'Portgas D. Ace... I'd heard about him a little, though, since I'm only 9 myself, I've never really invested my time into learning about things. I only know what the grown ups talk about.' She looked at the teen in a new perspective. 'It must be hard to lose someone you care about, even if their not blood related...'

Alla felt something pull her from the side. In an instant she was no longer sitting, but being scooped up by one arm, like one would hold a jacket. The man was wearing a yellow suit, though Alla couldn't see his face. In front of her she saw Luffy look up in shock, then anger.

"Geez, you youngsters are so scary!" The man said, though he didn't sound the least but scared, less interested, in the situation at hand. "The Nobles are driving me crazy, yelling at me for being responsible for keeping you in line, and here you go rampaging throughout the city!"

"Kizaru..." Luffy hissed, standing up. Alla saw him preparing battle stance and knew he was going to try to fight Kizaru. She didn't know much, but what she did know was that that was the name of a Marine Admiral and even if he could take him on at full power, Luffy stood no chance against Kizaru this injured and disabled.

She decided to act now. "Let me down! Let go of me!" She wriggled in his arm before biting it, though something unexpected happened, she went through him. "What the?"

"It's a logia." Luffy stated, turning his arms a shiny black. "Alla as soon as we start fighting, get away! If you don't, you'll get hurt."

"Ah, so I was right to think that you hadn't taken a hostage, despite my subordinates tales." He dropped the girl, who scampered off to the side. "An old icy friend mentioned you were a pirate with morals, though a pirates a pirate if you ask me." He raised his foot up and pointed it at Luffy, a beam shooting out.

Luffy rolled to the side as charged towards Kizaru, aiming a punch at his chest. He was blocked by the admiral's crossed arms.

"I see you've gotten stronger since I last fought you, Mugiwara. Maybe you'll actually manage to land a hit on me this time."

"Of course. I didn't just disappear wi- for two years because I felt like it."

"There's a mystery the government never quite figured out. Shortly after the battle at Marineford, Monkey D. Luffy returns to the scene of the battle, supposedly pays his respects to his dead brother, then vanishes into thin air." They exchanged kicks and punches while he spoke, though it was clear the the admiral wasn't even tired while Luffy had already almost exhausted his strength.

"Then, simultaneously the 'Dark Knight' Rayleigh disappears, remaining unseen for two years, resurfacing at the exact time as a certain pirate and his crew. That's some coincidence, isn't it?"

Luffy 'tch'd' and leaped back, breaking their contact. "Yeah, must be some strange coincidence."

Alla's heart was racing. 'Is this how a fight between the strong looks?!' She watched the two trade blows, though she couldn't even see their movements, only catching sight of them for a split second when they locked blows. 'No, it's impossible for Luffy to beat him... This isn't a fight, it's something else. But what?'

'A whim? A stall for time? But why would he be stalling? Why not just take Luffy out and call it a day?!' She saw Luffy jump back and the two stood, neither making a move. 'Why?! When it's hopeless to continue, why doesn't he just run?!'

A wagon pulled up in front of the wide alleyway and the window was rolled down. "Good Job Kizaru-kun, you located and cornered the rat. Fill me in."

Kizaru tilted his head towards the Celestial Dragon. "Lord Usmael, the pirate Monkey D. Luffy has knocked out the guards that were transporting him and Miss Alla from The Pit. He then took her hostage and was using her as a shield against the guards and marines he came across." He looked over at Alla and caught her confused look. "As you can see I've seperated the two and was just about to recapture the pirate."

Alla wasn't the only one with a confused look. Luffy was looking towards her, confused for a different reason. "Alla, I've been meaning to ask, why don't you have a bomb-collar?"

She froze and her body became a jumble of nerves. "Umm.. I..."

Guards ran from around the carriage, immediately tackling Luffy. "Miss Alla! Alla-sama is alright! Kizaru helped Alla-sama!" They sang, while a few of them chained up the pirate. "He didn't do anything terribly wrong to you, did he Miss Alla?!" One asked, kneeling in front of her.

"No... Umm..." She was shaking badly, not daring to look up in case she saw the disgust and betrayal that was on his face.

"Get in Alla." The Dragon boomed, opening the door of the carriage.

"Yes, father." Weak-kneed she walked towards the carriage. She stared at the ground. Only when she dared a look at the man that had just been captured did she stop.

He didn't hold a face to disgust or hatred but of pity and understanding. Then he smiled, a wide genuine toothy smile, and whispered. "Mata ne!"

Tears fell from her eyes as she was pushed inside the vehicle. 'He... Luffy is... The greatest man I've ever met! I... How can I repay him?!' She sobbed into her hands as the brilliant sun was shut out by the closing of the door.

* * *

><p>Tada! Guys you don't know how happy all of your reviews made me! I was inspired to write this sosoon solely by you guys! Thank you so much!<p>

"So-I-bet-none-of-you-guys-saw-the-ending-coming-at-all-totally,-nope-not-at-all.-I'm-am-amazing-at-foreshadowing-and-none-can-beat-me."

I don't normally use Romaji in my fics except for character names or moves like "Oyaji" instead of "Pops" or "Tatsumaki" instead of "Whirlwind." But for this instance I think "Mata ne!" sounded a lot better than "See you!" in that scene so I apologize. ㈵2

Till next time dumplings,

OnePieceDoesExist


End file.
